IVES– Hey Joe, thanks for the kind words.

New York can start signing academy players this off-season. Whether they will sign any players remains to be seen. I spoke to Jeff Agoos about this two weeks ago and he stated that the club hadn’t begun focusing on that yet. I think it is a safe bet that the club will bring in at least one player (I believe teams can bring in two.)

As for how far along other teams are, I really don’t know. I know a majority of teams have programs now (though a program has to be established for two years before a team can draw players from it). Does that group include New England, the last team that didn’t have a program set up yet? Maybe someone else can answer that.

And finally, I will provide a Top Five list of Red Bulls Academy prospects in the next two weeks.

STEVE Y– Who are the non-US MLS players who would likely be regulars for the USMNT, based on both skill level and age (in light of WC 0cycle)?

IVES– Juan Pablo Angel, David Beckham and Shalrie Joseph would start for the U.S. national team tomorrow. Who else would start in next summer’s World Cup qualifying? Not sure if any of them would. Luciano Emilio would be a good option behind Angel and Dempsey at forward while Fred would be an good wing option. Dwayne DeRosario would also have to be considered strongly as a potential starter and would definitely make a U.S. roster. The rest of the top foreigners in the league are older and not really suited for the international game anymore. Some younger ones, like Maykel Galindo, Juan Toja and Panchito Mendoza are intriguing prospects but I’m not sure they’re locks to make a U.S. roster.

DOUG– Ives, dont know if you saw Spain this weekend. Dominant against Sweden 3-0. could this be the year Spain get a trophy. (This question gets asked every 2 years)

IVES– I’ve always been a big fan of Spain and I do like them in the Euros next summer. The young core of standouts (Fabregas, Torres, Ramos and Casillas) should shine. I see them at least reaching the semis.

KLB– How do you see the rest of the season playing out for Tottenham? A revival in the EPL, mid-table mediocrity, a continuation of the relegation battle? Any chance they make a run at a trophy (League Cup / FA / UEFA)?

IVES– I’ll go with mid-table mediocrity. There is something disjointed about that roster. For all the talent on the roster I don’t get a feeling that they have a consistent starting 11 that is going to win enough consistently to make up for the awful start.

CHRIS– What’s your take on Red Bull’s announcement that Jozy isn’t for sale? Is that a "No way. He’s playing for Red Bulls next year." Or is it more along the lines of "You better pony up the dough to get this kid" posturing?

IVES– I took it as, "We don’t need the money and he’s a star in the making, so back off."

AJ– Its been asked, so I won’t do it again. Just please answer the questions on how to fix the Revs. I can’t take a fourth and I don’t see another eastern team beating us before the final.

IVES- The Revs are not broken so much as they’ve come up against a great team in Houston the past two years. Think about how close these teams were in the past two finals. New England is right on the doorstep and is one more attacking star away from winning a cup. The question is whether Robert Kraft will pull the trigger on a DP or keep the Revs operating on the cheap.

PS: there is a U23 camp and china trip coming up in December. Who do you see going?

IVES– The roster came out last week. 

CPT KEVIN- How about an update on the SBI Fantasy League!

IVES– I thought Frank Yallop did a good job with the picks he made. He grabbed some real steals in Ivan Guerrero and Clarence Goodson and some real values in Joe Vide and Ned Grabavoy. I’m not sure about his post-draft decision to deal Brian Carroll for Kei Kamara but I did like the acquisition of goalkeeper Preston Burpo. It will be interesting to see what Yallop does with Grabavoy. Will he keep him or deal him?

DAVE– Since there are no more national team games this year, how would you rate Bob Bradley’s performance as national team coach? What improvements can he make, if any? Also, which U.S. national team players has surprised you the most, in both good and bad ways this year?

IVES– I thought Bradley did a very good job in 2007. It is funny to hear some people criticize him but those same people were going to criticize him regardless of his results. The Copa America losses provided the predictable fodder for the haters.

Ultimately, Bradley helped incorporate a whole new generation of players, tested the group against some very tough opponents (tougher than the national team has seen in years) and produced some very good results (including two wins against Mexico, a win in Europe against Switzerland and a very solid showing against Brazil).

SALLY STRUTHERS– Boxers or briefs?

IVES– Seriously?

JIM- What was the latest update on expansion teams at MLS Cup, who do you think will be next after Seattle?

IVES– Philadelphia and St. Louis are the favorites to come on board with Seattle. I’m hoping it’s Philly (no offense St. Louis fans, I just like the idea of the potential rivalry with the Red Bulls and DC United.

FIREBALL– 1. DeRo playing in Europe. Why not?

IVES– That’s a very good question. DeRosario should be playing in Europe. Best blogger/writer covering the Galaxy? I don’t read enough Galaxy coverage to make that call (but the Sideline Views blog done by Andrea Canales and Luis Bueno is regarded by most people I know as the best source for Cali soccer news). Not sure about your third question.

THE NICK– Is New York City just jonesing for a team to support? Obviously the Red Bulls are outside of the border, and outside of the borders of the thoughts of many New Yorkers. IF a team can play within the city, do you think they can galvanize the cities soccer fans and pull off another Toronto (16k season tix sold)

IVES– This is something that I just don’t think enough people outside the New York/New Jersey area realize. People against a second New York team point to Red Bulls attendance and insist that the support isn’t there for another team. That is WRONG. The MetroStars intentionally ignored New York as a market for years, choosing to focus mainly on New Jersey, and the result is a New York City soccer fanbase that never took to the MetroStars (with some exceptions of course). WHEN the New York City team is established in 2010 or 2011 you are going to see packed stadiums and some serious buzz. You will also see a rivalry like no other between FC New York (or whatever Fred Wilpon calls the team) and the Red Bulls.

KRIS– Are you as excited as I am for this line-up next world cup?

IVES– Again, it’s way too early to project, but if we’re coming up with teams, here is one I would like seeing:

———–Altidore—-Dempsey———–

——————-Adu———————-

Beasley—————————–Donovan

——————Bradley———————

Pearce–Bocanegra–Onyewu—Cherundolo

——————-Howard———————

Yes, this will require Altidore and Adu to keep progressing as players, but if they do, then this team will be pretty dynamic.

And yes, I have Heath Pearce in there. He’s really impressed me and I rate him ahead of Bornstein right now. Cherundolo is a lock at right back when healthy and the center backs are set (assuming both are playing regularly wherever they may be come 2010.) If not, you can see a Jonathan Spector or maybe even Nathan Sturgis developing.

MICHAEL F– Can you please talk to your contacts at RBNY to call Octavio Zembrano? A great coach who got a bad rep. He deserves another chance in MLS – Red Bulls could really use him…

IVES– Yes, I agree, it’s tragic that Zambrano was essentially black-listed by the league (how else do you explain a coach with his record not even getting interviews?). That said, he’s not the man for the Red Bulls job. There are better candidates.

MIKE– What is UEFA and La Liga’s drug testing/substance abuse policy?

IVES– I have no idea.

KRIS– Amendment: with Altidore, Fehlhaber, Parkhurst, Pearce, Cherundolo, Szelta,and Guzan coming off the bench.

IVES– Rossi isn’t playing for the United States. He’s set for Italy. I haven’t spoken to him, it’s just the sense I get.

HINCHA TIM– How long do you think it will be until the MLS is at the level of the Argentine Primera or the Brazlian first division (my criteria):

1)(could compete with the best teams for the Libertadores/ Copa Sudamericana Copas and compete at the World Club Championship, although maybe not win it)
2) Average 20k per game
3) Produce good American players who can play at the level of the Primera?

IVES– MLS is still several years away from being strong enough to field teams deep enough to compete in MLS AND these cup competitions. I really don’t think teams like DC and Houston are that far behind most of the top teams in the Americas. The depth of the league is the issue, both in terms of teams and rosters. As the league loosens the purse strings on salaries, and as teams establish youth systems so they can produce more and better talent, MLS will quickly catch up with its counterparts in this hemisphere.

RALPH-What does Red Bull NY have to do get Jose Angulo on the team. It would be a shame if he went anywhere else. Thanks.

IVES– The Red Bulls will have to draft him (assuming he signs with the league). It really isn’t a shame if he goes elsewhere. The Red Bulls had a chance to see him and told him not to come back. To be fair, he was out of shape and hadn’t played in a while when he tried training with the team. He didn’t play for the Red Bulls youth teams so this really isn’t like the Gabriel Ferrari situation.

NEUMANNATOR– Not to live in the past but it looks like it’s all we have. How bad would Red Bull have been beaten by Houston if they had made it to the final?

IVES– I don’t think it would have been a blowout. Consider that New England won their series by a 1-0 combined score, and that goal came with the Red Bulls down a man and with top scorer Juan Pablo Angel dealing with a concussion. The Red Bulls would have made it a game and I would have have loved to see Angel playing on that stage. I think it would have been 2-1 Houston.

LAMBDA– Did you notice How USMNT needs Landon to control to offense? Was Saturday’s game another example on how Landon is the core of this soccer team? Do you think we don’t give him enough credit for what he does for this team and league?

IVES– No, not really and no, I’m not buying that theory. It’s convenient to assume that the U.S. team would have somehow produced tons more offense with Landon around. Yes, having Donovan instead of Feilhaber in the lineup would have helped, but the Donovan as U.S. Talisman suggestion sounds like a bit much. He’s a really good player and the U.S. team is better without him, but calling him "the core" of the U.S. team is a stretch. I’m sure some will portray that as me being a Donovan hater, but that’s also a stretch.

KYLE– 1)Any news on the CONCACAF champion’s cup being turned into a champions league with 24 teams in Aug ’08? How do you think they will break down which leagues get how many teams?

IVES– I haven’t seen official word from CONCACAF yet but word around MLS is that a 24-team tournament will kick off in late summer of 2008, with four MLS teams taking part. It will be interesting to see how MLS teams do in a tournament that will run from August of 2008 into the spring of 2009.

KEVIN– Does Feilhaber move in January or does he wait for Derby to go down and play in the Championship next year?

IVES– He should move ASAP, he doesn’t look to have a future at Derby. Edu is good but Bradley is better AND younger. I think Feilhaber’s offensive ability is a touch overrated. Some folks assume since he has Brazilian bloodlines that he’s some playmaking maestro when he’s really a holding midfielder with nice touch, a good shot and good vision. So what "style" is Feilhaber bringing exactly?

If the Americans have Dempsey, Donovan and Beasley playing well the offense will play well and if Adu continues to develop then I think you will see the type of playmaker who can actually spark an offense. Feilhaber has some stiff competition for a long-term central midfield role and had better find steady playing time before he loses any more ground to the likes of Bradley and Edu.

DYLAN– What do you think Jose Angulo’s odds are of lining up for the US Senior Team are someday? Any idea when his citizenship issues will be resolved? Any idea who that top team is in Italy? Thanks!

IVES– Angulo boasts some pretty amazing skills that need to be seen to be appreciated. I know some people think I talk him up because he’s from New Jersey but he really is that good. He’s strong on the ball, faster than you realize and has a deadly left foot. The sooner he gets into a pro environment the sooner he will start to show off those skills. It wouldn’t shock me if he were on a U.S. World Cup roster one day.

As for his citizenship situation, Angulo has a green card and is in the process of getting his citizenship. If he had left to play in Europe this winter it could have jeopardized his citizenship, at least that’s what I’ve been told. As for the team in Italy, I was asked not to tell. I can tell you it was a team in the top half of the Serie A table right now.

PANCHO– Q1) Any more news on EJ to europe?
Q2) Who else? Rico Clark? J. Bornstein?
Q3) Why does it take Sooo long to announce a Nats Roster? When are the players relase from their clubs requested. It seems like 10 days out we are still wondering who will be there to suit up.

IVES– 1. Nothing new on Johnson to Europe, though staying in MLS is more of an option thanks to the Donovan DP Grandfathering Exception. I have been told that MLS has an option yearon Johnson so he may stay. I doubt it. The sooner he goes to Europe, the better. He’s stagnating in MLS.

AARON– Is anyone over at Derby County giving a reason as to Feilhaber’s inability to crack the lineup? The trouble they took to bring him over and get him a work visa made you think they were looking to build around him, but right now he seems lucky to dress. What gives?

IVES– Well, Billy Davies brought him in and he’s been canned so nobody in charge now is going to feel obligated to play Feilhaber or offer explanations as to why he’s not playing. These are the kind of trials and tribulations a player needs to deal with sometimes.

Look at Clint Dempsey. Chris Coleman brought him over and Dempsey was struggling for time. Coleman gets fired, Dempsey steps up his game and earns playing time under new coach Lawrie Sanchez. Some other players might have folded in a similar situation. Dempsey sucked it up and is doing great now.

ERICK ABARCA– Hey Ives, thanks for all you do. I really hope you win “best blog”. SBI Mafia please vote here —-> http://bestof2007-ussoccer.blogspot.com/search/label/Best%20Soccer%20Blog
You deserve it!

IVES– Hey Erik, thanks for the kind words and for your support through the years.

A good source tells me Parkhurst is staying. That’s what I’m going with. I know the Parkhurst-Fulham talk has been floating for months. Honestly, he’s in a no-lose situation. If Parkhurst stays, he will finish out his contract and be able to ask for a big deal after 2008. If he goes, Parkhurst will have a chance to prove that he can play on a higher level. After dominating in MLS in 2007, Parkhurst has earned the right to have a chance in England.

DAVID– Ives, Great job as always. I’ve grown to read you blog and see it as great source of soccer specific discussions. So has a portuguese loving the development of the worlds sport in the US, these are my biggest points of interest:

1) Any chance of us seeing a foreign investor partner with an american investor and taking on a USA sister team from an already big club (CHivas USA or Orlando Ajax)?
2) ANY new potential DP players coming to the league in 2009?

IVES– I haven’t heard as much buzz about that sort of thing as I had a year ago and I can’t help but wonder if it has something do with the weak American economy and dollar. Barcelona was said to be interested in the second New York team but appears to have fallen out of the running there.

As for DP signings, did you mean 2008? Juan Veron is the most likely of the rumored signings, the only real one if you ask me. Too many of the rest are just hollow rumors. If I hear the Andriy Shevchenko rumor one more time I may just puke.

JON G– 1.) Commentators from GolTV’s weekly "American Soccer" program commented quite a few weeks ago on the chemistry in the Chivas USA locker room, stating that there was rumor that Preki was not in control of the team. Is there any substance to this or was it pure speculation?

IVES– MLS announced the Pan Pacific Championship in Honolulu, Hawaii. The four-team tournament will include the LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, Japanese club Gamba Osaka as well as a team from Australia’s A-League, which will be determined at a later time. Gamba plays the Galaxy and Houston faces the A-League team on Feb. 20. The tournament’s final and third-place match will be played on Feb. 23. It’s an interesting concept. I just wish I could find a way to cover this thing.

STANWOOD– Whenever I’ve seen photos of the USMNT or other clubs from their training sessions, none of the players appear to be wearing shin guards. Maybe I’m overly cautious, but doesn’t this seem a little risky? What gives?

IVES– I don’t think most national team practices are full-blooded in terms of contact so you don’t have as much need for the shin guards. More likely, I think a majority of practice shots are taken early or late in practice or from practices the day before a game. In all of these instances you are likely to find players not wearing shin guards.

LUIS– Do you think landon donovan will remain with the galaxy next season?

IVES– It looks like it. What happens after 2008 should be interesting. I keep telling myself that Donovan will reach a point where he will give Europe another run.

DEUCE– Ives, Where would an attacking duo of Altidore and Dempsey rank in the next World Cup, somewhere between 10th-15th best? Better? What if that rotation added Rossi to it, does that move it up to 5th-10th best?

IVES– How am I supposed to rate a forward tandem in a tournament being played two years from now, where the teams haven’t been determined yet? If Altidore and Dempsey keep improving they could be one of the more exciting tandems in the tournament. And yes, the tandem would be exponentially better with Rossi, who is easily one of the best young strikers in the world, but he’s staying with Italy, at least that’s the sense I’m getting.

CARL– Hey Ives do you envision a situation where either Beasley or Donovan are forced out of the starting lineup in the next WC2010 or are they both necessary for chemistry and leadership? Adu, Dempsey, Bradley, Altidore, Edu and perhaps even Guiseppe Rossi could outclass them by that time.

IVES– Donovan and Beasley are two of the best, if not the two best, field players in the U.S. pool. You mentioned seven players for a potential six positions (I don’t count Rossi because I don’t see him changing his mind). I really don’t see the issue.

Assuming that youngsters Altidore, Adu, Bradley and Edu all continue to improve at a good rate, the decisions will likely come in central midfield, with Adu, Bradley and Edu battling for two spots. That would leave room for Beasley, Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore and two of those three.

Now, we are getting WAY ahead of ourselves. Benny Feilhaber is still in the mix and there is always a chance some good young wingers like Lee Nguyen, Sal Zizzo, Johann Smith, Robbie Rogers or forwards like Charlie Davies, Eddie Johnson or Gabriel Ferrari might develop at a fast rate over the next two years. And as Beasley has shown us, serious injuries are always something that can occur. For now though, the above names are safe bets because many of them are already talented and young enough to see real growth in their ability.

DCU FAN– Some Revolution fans have their nose out of joint because we sang our songs and did our chants at the cup. Apparently this does not make us good hosts. What are your thoughts on this question?

IVES- Okay, while I found it somewhat cheesy that DC fans would break out chants at a title game they weren’t playing in, I don’t think it was criminal. Revs fans need to worry about more important things, like why their team hasn’t used its DP slot yet or why the Revs were the last team in the league to start a youth team set-up.

IVES– I don’t think that’s being considered for 2008 but it’s something that has to be done in the future. 18-man senior rosters are WAY too small for teams trying to compete in international tournaments.

BEN– Ives, 2 questions for you:

IVES– 1. Liverpool looks to be putting things together right now and I can definitely see them finishing in the top three, just behind Man U and Arsenal. Will they catch the big two? That might be too much to ask for.

As for whether RBNY will actually market and promote their team in 2008? I have to believe they will try something different because 2008 was a terrible year in terms of the team getting exposure. They can’t afford to wait until 2009 to promote the team, otherwise they will lose even more fans.

YANK AT OXFORD– Which club’s form currently among the top in the world do you see dipping over the next month, ancillary to Bayern Munich?
Cheers-

IVES– I think Manchester City, Villarreal and Sporting Lisbon could be headed for dips in the coming weeks. Now if Cesc Fabregas’ hamstring becomes a long-term issue, the Gunners could dip a bit.

ZACHARY TATUM– How do you think the MNT looked against South Africa in relation to the overall stated goal of Bob Bradley which is to qualify for the Fifa World Cup. For instance, I think they look like they are on track to being exactly where they want to be for the first qualifier. Some on the running commentary blog disagreed with me. I’d like to hear what you think.

IVES– Was it a great performance? Not an amazing one, but it was good considering the travel and altitude. The first half went well and I can’t see how someone could look at that match and express concern over the state of the national team. You look at the year as a whole and the progress and experience the player pool has made. Just because some people feel like the U.S. team should have blown out South Africa and didn’t doesn’t mean that result was disappointing. It was disappointing to those who either set unrealistic expectations on it, or who were just looking for something to complain about with respect to the national team.

ZACHARY TATUM– What line up do you expect Bob Bradley to eventually settle on for the world cup qualifiers and the world cup. My prediction:

IVES- Picking a 23-man World Cup roster more than two years before the World Cup is just crazy. That said, your roster, particularly the bench, is far too dependent on current status. I’ll give it some thought and put up a projected 23-man roster at some point this month.

IVES– Those four players are all good, but they also all fall in a range where they’re not going to weigh too heavily on the salary cap. You need a foundation of players like these to have long-term success. That said, I wonder how well some of those players would do in other circumstances. Would Waibel or Mulrooney flourish if they weren’t in that system and surrounded by that defense? Would they do well elsewhere?

As for your second question, I don’t think you can call it luck. Houston’s front office went out and got Joseph Ngwenya and Nate Jaqua and both players did very well for them. Yes, there is some luck there, but Houston’s front office has done an amazing job of finding talent through the years, with guys like Patrick Ianni, Stuart Holden and Corey Ashe joining the team and contributing, and trades like the ones for Jaqua and Ngwenya panning out.

PHIL– What are the chances that ESPN will put a soccer analysis show (e.g. ESPN Soccernet) with regards to all international soccer, with a strong focus on American?

IVES- I think those programs that people make fun of are either cheap to put together or those organizations are paying for the air-time. It would be great to have a soccer analysis show that catered to American fans. The real question is who would you have on that show?

JOHN in ATL– After returning from DC and attending the Awards Gala & Cup, would like to prime you for any insight you might have towards Atlanta being in the mix for future MLS expansion (i.e. 2011). Have learned Garber has been to ATL 3 times over the past 12 months, and there are more than one investor groups trying to make it happen. Realize it can be a crowded and fickle sport base, but geographically and demographically, it makes a lot of sense. Financially is the big ?

IVES- It sounds like Arthur Blank is the leader of the Atlanta push (you can’t blame him for wanting to try a new sport the way the Falcons are plummeting) and I think it helps Atlanta that MLS wants to put a team somewhere in the Southeast. I think putting teams in Philly, St. Louis and New York will happen before that though. As for the Southeast, can’t SOMEBODY put a team in Miami? Please?

PHILIP– 1. Where does yesterday’s MLS Cup rank in terms of quality of play / 90(+) minutes fun to watch compared to the other MLS Cups you have covered (perhaps a top five ranking)?

IVES- MLS Cups are really a blur and I don’t really watch them like a fan watches them. I’m not really enjoying the event as much as I’m trying to chronicle it and find the storylines. Believe me when I say it is much more entertaining watching a match you don’t have to write about.

That said, it was one of the better MLS Cups I have watched. it had its hero (DeRosario), its villain (Khano Smith), a comeback and great weather. Overall I think it was a memorable day at RFK.

CEEZ– So, Ives, how would you rate Ramapo’s educational standards? Lol. JK.

IVES- Ramapo is one of the better small colleges in the Northeast. The place has grown tremendously in the decade since I graduated, with tons of new buildings built in the past few years.

That’s all for now folks. Thanks to all of you who participated and keep an eye out for another Q&A session in the near future.